I traded in my Mercedes for a minivan. A vehicle I declared I’d never drive. “There goes any symbol of status for the next 25 years,” I thought to myself. Maybe. Maybe not. But let me start this story from the beginning.
I was approaching age 30. I had purchased my first new car right out of graduate school and had paid it off. I was ready for my first luxury sedan. I fell in love with the brand new Lexus RX 300. An SUV and the cutest thing on four wheels! “Yup, that was it!” One problem: my tall, broad husband didn’t fit comfortably in it. “Not enough head and elbow room,” he said. I was disappointed but I proceeded to find a comparable vehicle and came across the Mercedes SUV.
I never imagined driving a Mercedes at that stage of my life but it was a well-made, well handling vehicle. The price was right and the note was affordable. It wasn’t nearly as cute as the Lexus but it fit the goal of “luxury vehicle” and it fit my husband and baby girl. I was an independent contractor and needed the write-off so we leased it for three years.
But in three years, life happened: I went from being the mother of one to a mother of three; I went from being gainfully employed to unemployed (remember the recession after 911?); I went from being a working mom to a full-time stay-at-home mom. And remember that “affordable note?” Needless to say it was no longer affordable.
I remember the night I traded in my new Mercedes for a gently used Dodge Grand Caravan. By the grace and wisdom of God we were able to pay cash for it. I remember thinking, “there goes any symbol of status for the next 25 years.” Then I thought again. My minivan is a symbol of status. It’s a symbol that says I’m at the point in my life where my children come first. It is a symbol that I’m willing to put the comfort and convenience of my children before my own—they love the room, it’s easy to step into, and it’s nice to have room for a potty. My minivan is a status symbol. It’s a symbol that I have found new love—children, motherhood and all that comes along with it. That’s my status in life and my minivan is the symbol.
Copyright ©2004 by Anita S. Lane
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